Extensible rule



May 15, 1928.

f C. K. DENMAN EXTENSIBLE RULE teenth inchv at the left hand end. The remaining sections are merely a continuation of the first two sections in so far as the scale 2l is concernecL-a'nd as Wil-l be yunderstood by those skilled in the art, accurate inside A measurements can be obtained With the-char'- acters of the scale arranged as 4just der scribed.

Thepsections ofthe rule are eXtensibl-y asy',sociated With each other and are adapted to Abe locked in extended orl'folded positions by 7means of connecting or latchmg members. These connecting members v1n the present 1n- .stance comprise socket members 22 and 22' vand head members orflatch levers 23. As clearlyl shovvnv in Figures 1, 2 and 4i, the 'socket members 22 are secured to the .under .sides of the several sections with :the exception ot the 'said bottom section 16 at the vrighthand end of lsuch sections, each section being ,formed with a slot 24 which is adapt- ,ed to register with the Vslot 18 of the rule section to which the socket member is atH t'achechlthe ends Aoit the slot 24 being provided with upstanding lugs 25-tor positionthe socket member as a unit upon the use ction." As clearly shown in Figure-8k, each 'socket member 'is stamped from a single :sheet of metal to jprovide a 'longitudinally extending raisedfportio'n 26 and longitudinally,extendingchannels'27 at the longitudinal edgesv of the member. A` positioning "lip 28 isformewd on the outer end of the fmember 22 and this lip is 'adapted'uto ,engage the endv .olf ithe corresponding lsection to feo- "operate With the lugs 25 securely retainfing the 'socketmernber in proper position upon the section. iA pivot sleeve 29y is also 'formed in the member 22 and'this sleeve is yadapted to receive a `pivot pin 30 which 'also ei'tends through' ears 31 of aplate 32 con- Y stiti'it-ing a part offone 'ogf the head members As clearlyfshowvn in Figure 9, earch headv member alsov l includes a head fportion i'ilformed 'of resilient metall in substantially VL J.'ttoriofiat'ion.. This head portion is eX- V4lz'enc'led Y"through a. slot134 "formed in the plate l32,"ar`1'd flanges 35 are formed ,on the portions V'so as to engage the vlongitudinaledges of 'the fpla'te inV securelgy7 retaining the head portion in depending relation `vvith respect to `tlhe plate.- The p'late 32 is formed `at one ind 'ivith a stop 'flanged which is :positioned so `as tolimit the sliding movement of" "that 'section aibove these'ctio'n to vvihi'chthe member is'atta'ched.

Each socket member is pivoted so as Ato `occupy flocking and *non-locking position `Ito jseci'irethe sfeverail'is'ec'tions in extended or folded i'position or to permi'tfof their being Aslid from one positionto 'the other.` Then inllocking `positijnfas shown in Figii'ref',

y 'the fheadpoitionsf ofthe `several head members are extended through'slots 18 vkand '24 "of ithe sections and socket members, rso

that the severalrhead portions are nested one With relation to the other and `because of their contour they are securely retained Within-.eachother'to the sections against relative movement. To this end, each head vportiori-33 is what may be termed of double' .ovate rcontour in .cro-ss section, as clearly Ash'oirn in Figure, so as to receive the nose `of .an Vadjacent head portion and sothat its 4nose can`v be 'extended into another adj acer-1t head portion, rlhe Varrangement of the .sev-

eral head portionsvvith respect to the soclet members 22 is clearly illustrated in Figure :7, and as; so arranged they several sections vare'locked in 'folded position. `Then Vthe `rule wsectimisare in extendedposfition, as shown in Figure 5 'and .Figure 6, vthe head portions A53 are adapted to engagel "Within Y the slots `1950i A-the sections, vand for the p .urpose ot reinforcing the slots 19, the socket members@a yhave been provided. As clearly shown in lFigure 13, each socket member 22 comprises a plate offrectangular form prof vided With a slot? positioned to" register with the slot I9 and having lips 38 at ythe ends thereof for positioning the member upon a section. The socket'membe'r is suitably secured to the corresponding `rule sectionV at the left 4hand end thereof, asV viewed in Figure 4, and side vflanges 39 are formed on "theplateglogffthe socket member which engage Tthe edges yof the Ysecticm top rotect the Vlatter and also s'erve torig'idlypo'sfition -the member -u'po'n the section. i stop lip 40 is :formed on one end vof the lvsocket member yso fas to be disposedpat the left hand Gnd Of the frule section to therebyiengagefthe corresponding socket member'22 yto define the eX- tended positionolf 'any two adjacent sections.

t is'to'be 'understood that when moving the rule 'sections yfrom ,"f'o'lfded position 'as shown 'in FigureA l lto extended position as i A f l r y shown in Figure 5, it 1s necessary iirst to 'removethehealjportions 33 from the socket members 22,. This accomplished 'by 'lifting each headmember toftfhe position shown 'in f'dash lines in Figure 1,@thereby,"disengaging the corresponding'socketmem'ber v22 and per mitting the respective sections 'to be slid lon- .gitudinally 'upon the supportsection. This 'readily "deterinine 'When any two adjacent sections are notin completely extended posiltionso that the possibility offprocuring an erroneous reading of either scale or 21 is positively prevented.

It is to be understood'that it is not neces sary to provide the lovvermost section 16 with socket member 22, butin order to vprovide a restricted slot for the reception of the corresponding head portion `33 a plate 22b is ure `i12, this plate isformed with a slot lal ythrough which the corresponding head por# tion JS-is 4adapted to be extended.. `At one end of the plate a stop lip 42 'i is formed which functions in the same manner as the -lips 28. l f Y For the' purpose of reinforcing tliesocket members `22 when in applied positiony upon "the rule sections, the strips 11i are secured to the under sides of the sections in the mannerclearlyshoivn in Figure 4; The detail construction of the sti-ip is shown in Fig ure 11. i v

From. the foregoingl description, takenA Ain conjunctionA With the accompanying drawings, it Will be manifest that the connecting members 'for the several rule sections `are extremely simple and of inexpensive ',construotionvand that they operate to ciectively secure the rule sections in either 'folded'o'r extended'position. f y

It Will be 'further .noted that the construction of the socket members 22 is such as to eliminate the necessity of modifying in any Way the construction of the rule sec'-` tions the channels 27 slidably embracing the longitudinal edges of the section and at p opposite sides of the sections. This obing the same in extended or folded positionr viously eliminates the necessity of cham' Y nelingthe edges of the sections, While at the same time the sections may be made of standard thickness. i

Thus I have produced an extensible' rule having a plurality of rule sections or measuring sections of substantially equal length., the sections being long enough to overlap when extended, said sections having similar slots in both ends, latching members Vat corresponding ends of the measuring sections, said latching members comprising sockets fixed upon corresponding ends of the'measuring sections, latch levers pivoted to the inner ends of the socket members, so that a measuring section will pass between, a socket and a latch lever, and heads carried by the latch levers and adapted to enterv the slots in vthe measuring sections to hold the sections extended or folded and the various other details hereinbefore described.

I claim as my invention:

i 1. A rule comprising a plurality of sections formed With slots, and means for extensibly connecting'the sections and lock comprising socket members secured to the provided. As clearly shown in Fig sections and slidably receiving adjacentsections, and head members pivotednon the socket membersl and capablev of being. exytended through the slots of the subjacent sections to engage the socket members to lock them together. 1 1

2. A rule comprising-a plurality vof sections, and means for extensibly connecting the sections and locking the same inextended, or folded position comprisingfco-V operatinghead and socket members, p iv;

-oted to said head inembersthe socket mem- 'bersslidably receiving adjacent sections,'and

the head members being arranged to en-' gage the socket members of sub'iacent ysections Whenvthe sections are in foldedj or ex'- tended position. Y

v3. A rule comprising a plurality of 'secn tions, and means for extensibly connecting the sections andlocking'the "same in extended or folded 'positioncomprising socket members having slots and secured to the sections and slidably `receiving adjacent'sections, and head sections pivoted on thesocket-members to engageor disengage vthe slots of the socket members of subjacent sections.

4'.' A rule comprising a plurality of sections, means` for extensibly connecting the With slots formed in saidsections',v and inside of eachy of said sections and adapted to receive the subjacent section, and hinged head members pivoted to each of said socket members and disposed upon 'the'side therevofopposite said subjacent section, the heads tions, means for extensibly connecting the i sections and locking the same in extendedorr folded positions, said means cooperating `sections and' locking'the same 'in' extended or-folded positions,-said means cooperating iclu'ding socket members vsecured upon Cone iio with slots formed in said sections, andiny cliiding socket members secured upon one side of each of said sections and adapted to receive the subjacent section, and hinged `head members pivoted to each of said socket members upon the side thereof opposite said` subjacent section, the -heads of said head members being adapted to extend through the slots of the socket'members to which i they are attached and engagethe slots of the subjacent section. I

6. A rulev comprising a plurality of secf i. tions, means for extensibly connecting the sections and locking the same in extended or folded positions, saidmeans cooperating with' slots formed in said sections, and including socket members secured upon one side of each of said sections and adapted to receive the c subjacent section, and head members pivoted i to each of lsaid socket members upon the` iso ed tozextend through the slotsof the socket` members rto whichv they are attached and .engage theslot yof the fsbjacent section, and

abutments carried by said `head members for ylimiting `the movement of the next upindicati-ig When tie sections are infnlly per section in one direction.

7. In an extensible rule, affirstand second rule sec-tions, bot-h sections having slots near their` adjacent ends and means for extenslbly connecting lthe adjacent ends of the sectionsv together, said means comprlsinga socket member slidingly mounted :upon the f yfirst rsection and Shaving .va'islot adapted lto vregister with the slot in 'the section, said Aor extended.

socket member having upturned lugs to locate the member upon the second section, a'

.pivot sleeve formed t transversely upon the socket member, a head member having ears to vembrace 'the sleeve, a pivot pin connecting vthe Vparts together, the head portion `be- -lng adapted to extend through the slots so that Wlhen `the head member is elevated, the

sections may slide relative to yeach other and `when the hea-dmember ris lowered into the slots, the sections are securely held folded -8. An eXtensible rule comprising' a'plu- :ralifty of sections slidable one upon thez other, mean-s associated with each section for :maintaining anfadfjacent Ysect1-ony in sliding relation with respect to it, there being apera locking -memberpon .each sectona,dapted to be extended through the aperture in the section on 'Whichit is -mounted yand Vinto an adjacent section for locking fthe s ections'in extended or collapsed position, said locking members providi-nV a. visibleindlcartor for .extended or fully .collapsed p,os'ition.

9. A rulecomprising a plurality of meas-` uring sections formedrvvlth corresponding thelmeasuring sections in'folded or zunfolde 50V positions. Y

` 10. A rule comprising a plurality of, measwiring sections formed with corresponding" slots 1n each end, socket members fixed upon -corresponding ends of the measurlmg sections,` head members pivotedtoithensocket mem-bers, i and heads 'carried by `the head members .and adapted to venter'theslots to hold the. measuring sections in 'folded v4or :unfolded position, the measuring sectlons 'besigned my -ing vbetweenfthe socketwmemberswand the head members.` f

- In testimony whereof I .have name `to this specification. l

oLIFnoRD K fDENMAN i 

